My last favorite pasta dish at a Houston restaurant was the tagliolini in cultured butter with oyster liquor and mignonette at Justin Yu’s Theodore Rex. That was back in 2022. I sat at the bar at T-Rex and practically danced in my seat, happily lapping up the lavish and bouncy dish.
So what were the odds that about four years later, sitting at the bar at another Yu restaurant, I’d find my next favorite pasta dish at a Houston restaurant? Well, I’m here to tell you that you may fall in love with the pici pasta at new Montrose restaurant House of Louie.
Yu and hospitality partner Bobby Heugel, as the hospitality company Thorough Fare, have had plenty of success opening restaurants and bar-forward food concepts across Houston. There’s T-Rex, the bubbly Heights bar Better Luck Tomorrow, the phenomenal neighborhood restaurant Squable, all-time cocktail bar Anvil and its sister spot Refuge. The common thread between them is that the food, drinks and vibes aim to amount to the best dinner party you’ve ever attended. The food leads you into some adventure, drinks are superior, the package hovers around fancy-casual.
House of Louie, which Yu named after the restaurant his aunts owned back in the Los Angeles area, opened at the tail end of September in the former Vibrant space at 1931 Fairview St. There’s a small front patio, and the inside is essentially a refresh of the old Vibrant, which was one of Houston’s best restaurant interiors.
Anytime I visit a Thorough Fare spot, I instantly target the martini. Heugel’s concepts have the city’s best martinis, and House of Louie’s is no different, going for broke with lemon and olive and the right balance of flavors. The bar also has a solid wine list including some natural bottles.
And I was beaming that I could sip some grenache while eating the pici pasta. The pasta, a rough handmade style of longer and thicker spaghetti-style ropes, is served in a chicken-based French sauce supreme with chicken skins and a mirepoix—carrots, celery, onions—so it’s both silky and pops in your mouth. I found myself, once again, practically dancing while devouring the dish.
Dining alone, I didn’t get too much more on the menu during my visit. The yellowtail crudo, an early favorite among diners there, featured some seriously meaty fish but leaned a little too oily for my tastes. But the fried lasagna looks great. The plums in green tomato sauce look great. I’ll have to come by with additional guests for the grilled duck and French dip with fries.
It may be early, but it’s pretty safe to say that just like Squable and Theodore Rex, and just like nearly everything Huegel and Yu open in Houston, House of Louie seems to be another winner.
Dining and Cooking